COASTAL OBSERVER

Tyrese Haynes had what Chris Overbeek called an “infectious smile.”

“Good kid, good student. He was loved by his peers,” said Overbeek, the coach of the Waccamaw High School boys basketball team. “Those are the qualities that matter.”

Haynes, 17, who would have started his senior year at the school in a few weeks, drowned last week in the ocean off of Litchfield by the Sea. 

“It’s tragic when it’s a young person like this with such a bright future,” said Overbeek, who coached Haynes last season. “He’s certainly going to be missed throughout our school and our community.”

Haynes was recently chosen to represent Waccamaw High on a panel charged with coming up with the qualities shareholders want in a new superintendent of schools.

“I think that speaks to how he’s viewed within our building,” Overbeek said.

When Michael Hodo, owner of Pawleys Island Bakery, heard about the tragedy he opened the business after hours to give grief-stricken teens a place to gather on Saturday night. More than 80 kids showed up.

“We prayed and we talked and shared some things about God’s love for them and Tyrese,” Hodo said. “We felt good about the night.”

As the family outreach minister at Pawleys Island Presbyterian Church, Hodo has experience counseling teenagers. He said a lot of the teens at the bakery had questions about how to grieve and how to share their feelings with their parents.

Hodo was also one of the counselors on hand for an event hosted by the school district’s Crisis Care Team at the high school on Monday morning. 

“Some teens that really needed to be there, came,” Hodo said. “The goal was to help these teens learn how to process this and learn how to communicate their feelings.”

Hodo and his family are friends with the Haynes family. 

“Tyrese means a lot to us,” Hodo said. “He means a lot to our kids.”

Former Waccamaw High principal David Hammel, who retired from the district last month, was also at the bakery.

“Seeing that take place the other night was powerful,” Hammel said.

He encouraged the kids to “shine Tyrese’s light.”

Hammel was also principal when WHS senior Rishard Pyatt drowned in a boating accident in 2009 and when WHS junior Jamisa Lewis died in a car accident in 2017.

When Hammel heard the news about Haynes the memories of the two other tragedies came rushing back.

“They were unexpected accidents that devastated the school and the community,” Hammel said. “All three of them were such strong vibrant members of our school and loved by many.”

Hammel said the school can’t “shy away” from dealing with Haynes’ death.

“Grief will come in waves when school begins, when the basketball season begins, and all the way through to graduation,” he added. “You do have to talk about it.”

Kendra Greene and Pamela Vereen oversee the district’s Crisis Care Team and were among the counselors at the school on Monday.

Greene, the district’s executive director for special services, said some of the students were ready to talk, but for some, the words wouldn’t come. Other students felt more comfortable writing their feelings down, in some cases, in letters to Haynes or his family.

“It was a way to get it off their chest,” Greene added. “They’re still trying to process so we gave them the opportunity to get everything out.”

“You’re creating that safe space where they can be heard,” said Vereen, the district’s director of college and career readiness. “You allow them to begin to express what the coping strategies were that they used in the past.” 

Greene said it is important that students understand that grief is not something they will get over in one night and that the district always has counselors available – including the ones in attendance on Monday – for students who need help.

“We wanted to make sure when they left they knew they had someone they could talk to because we could do only so much when they’re with us,” Greene said. “We want to make sure they could identify that one person if they were feeling overwhelmed or just needed to talk or be around someone.”

Greene and Vereen said they identified students that they will personally check on going forward.

As a junior last season, Haynes led Waccamaw in points, rebounds and steals and was second in assists and blocks.

“When we got him the ball in good positions he was really tough to guard,” Overbeek said. “He certainly would have had some opportunities at the next level.”

Haynes participated in summer workouts with the team and played in two scrimmages. His last time on the court was on June 27 in North Carolina.

“He was as unstoppable as I’ve seen him,” Overbeek said about Haynes’ performance in that game.

Overbeek said he and all the Warriors will miss Haynes.

“He was a quiet guy who had total respect for his teammates,” he added. “They’re going to feel a huge loss, not just on the court.”

Wade Leventis, a rising junior on the team, said Haynes was a great player, but always remained humble.

“Tyrese was a very nice kid who would always encourage me and was nice to me no matter what,” Leventis said. “He will be truly missed.”

Haynes’ funeral will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. inside the Waccamaw High School gymnasium.